"Ready or not here I come!"
Young Wu Chen walks across the mist covered Crimson Palace, stumbling his adolescent step as he tries to catch up to his brother.
"Find me if you will, I will not be easily captured"
A voice replied, his older brother has kindly set his time aside to play hide and seek with Young Chen.
Yet despite the lack of visibility, Young Chen runs forward towards the source of the voice. Guided by the dim glows of the scarlet flower as well as the lantern, he eventually finds himself near a bridge.
"Hmmm, where is big bro at?"
Chen mumbles, looking left and right, his innocent red eyes scanning through the vicinity of the bridge in search of his big bro.
"If I'm big bro, where will I be?"
He begins to scour every rock, every surface and even look under the bridge if he hid there only to no avail.
He then heard a noise somewhere around a crimson building, he went there out of curiosity.
Peeking through the corner of the building, he saw his big bro alongside Miss Myung.
Before he could call out to them, a stinging sharp noise was heard.
SLAP
Miss Myung slapped big bro, her own son.
"You fucking dimwit ugly shit! What the fuck are you doing here playing?"
"Sorry"
"Why don't you learn? Why don't you read? Instead of putting all that time in learning you instead play around like some ungrateful fool!"
"Sorry"
"And what happen to that class I told you to attend? Your traitorous brat dare defies me? Your own mother?"
"Sorry"
"Sorry Sorry Sorry! Speak like a man! What the fuck is this fucking idiot!!! Fucking stupid son of mine!"
SLAP-SLAP-SLAP
A series of slaps from the enraged Miss Myung struck big bro face, his cheeks turned angry red from the attack, yet he didn't groan.
Even when his nose bleeds profusely, even when his eyes swelled with tears even when his lips were grazed by the force of the slap, he didn't groan.
His eyes trained, cast downward. He is not the big bro Young Chen knew.
Usually so free spirited, so calm yet caring. Now, his face is filled with malice and hate that has nowhere to go.
"My apology"
"Forget it! Just die! Die you stupid shit! Die!"
Her shouts were so aggressive even Young Chen hearts rise rapidly as if he was the one being insulted.
She then stormed her way out of Young Chen sight, her pace so frantic that her carefully arranged robe falls out like petals from a wilted flower.
Chen was stuck in place; his feet refused to move from the sheer hatred-filled insult from Miss Myung.
"Not enough…"
Big bro muttered, his voice usually so warm edged into madness and darkness.
"If this is not enough to make mother happy, I should strive higher, be better…"
Chen was astonished and scared, that big bro can change this much in person.
Then did his cheerful and warm self a façade? A mere mirage?
Is this big bro real self? Then, does all this acting and near-death effort needed to stay alive in this cutthroat world?
Young Chen knows that beyond the Crimson Palace is an unforgiving world where one mistake will cost one life. Yet, if the sheltered world of the Crimson Palace this dangerous, how dangerous is the real world?
Should he too, act like this? So, he cannot die and leave his mother behind.
.
.
.
"A dream huh?"
Wu Chen eyes flutters open, greeted by a ray of light filtered from the tree of a banyan tree.
He slowly rises back up, rubbing his temple. He then checks to position of the sun, roughly 15 minutes has passed.
And yet in those 15 minutes he was able to dream of a distant past.
They said that dreaming the past means that our present self was confused, hence the Soul tries to find a solution by venturing into the past.
A foolish notion at best, Wu Chen thought once, but after experiencing it for himself he realized that it holds its fair share of truth.
"So, where should I go now… Big bro?"
In the past, when the Demon King is nowhere to be found, his young self would seek his big bro, Wu Yincang for guidance.
Now, he actively tried to go against him, competing for a position that can only be filled by either of them.
But still, he seeks guidance. And before he knows it, he is in front of his buildings.
A full dormitory was given to Wu Yincang after his success in the Seven Bird Descend Trial, sabotaging the branch of Fierce Heaven Sect near Lajiu.
Not only did he disband the branch, but he also massacred every single member of the branch right there and then.
But strangely, Chen felt no fear going against this beast of a brother. Unlike facing Nanming who is akin to a natural disaster, facing Wu Yincang is like negotiating with Death.
It is unlikely for him to win, but if there is a chance there is a way.
"Halt"
A tall bald male approach Chen.
He regards him with calm composition, hand clasped behind his back and he lock his eyes straight to the brutish male.
"…"
The male maintains his silence.
"…"
And so does Chen, the silence hang for a good minute before the male spoke.
"Wu Yincang expected you to come sooner or later anyway, so just come in"
The male then steps aside to welcome Chen inside the building.
Chen nods and smiles but was met with silence by the male who didn't even consider reciprocating.
As he steps inside the building, the male suddenly said once more.
"His room is on the third floor in the center of the hall!"
Chen took notes inside his mind and ventured inside the building.
It was empty, so empty, despite having a multitude of followers, it seems that Wu Yincang prevents them from knowing him more than being a 'prince'.
As he continued walking in the empty hallway, he eventually reached the third floor, and sure enough, Wu Yincang room was in the center.
Chen stops in front of the door, contemplating whether he should go in or not.
But he decided to enter it anyway.
…
Wu Yincang is resourceful to anything.
If one of his followers has run out of their uses, he would simply cut ties with them. There is simply no benefit in keeping a fruitless tree.
A concept such as pity or even empathy is a foreign feeling for him, if he saw a beggar without any limbs begging for scraps of food, all he will feel is disgust and revulsion. Unless something is guaranteed to be compensation for his wasted efforts, he won't even move a finger.
Same with time, he values his time greatly, wasting time is a near-phobic behavior for Wu Yincang.
Thanks to this peculiar trait of his, Wu Yincang grows to be a genius in all fields. Capable of mastering new experience in a matter of days or even hours after learning about them.
But with great intellect comes great boredom, nothing challenges him. He could make an exception in terms of sheer strength which he attributed to his sister, Wu Lixian.
But in terms of mental capability, he is above all.
But there are a small number of people who managed to rile him up,
Either from their unpredictability or just how fun they are for him to mess around with. Such as his father and his little brother, Wu Chen.
Hence why he issued an order to Ruen,
'Should Wu Chen come looking for me, treat him like a guest'
And now his little brother is moving exactly like he wanted him to.
His door opens without any knocking, a gesture he deeply dislikes, but not this time.
From within, a figure he is familiar with, yet a stranger to him all the same.
Wu Chen.
His pale face, much like him, constructed in a way that befits a doll with all its life drains away.
This is the real Chen.
His dark crimson eyes lock its sight to him, with all its muted intensity. Wu Yincang longed to gouge those innocent eyes out, but he waited for too long and now those ripe and succulent irises were no longer in sight.
"I greet the first brother"
He bowed before raising his head once more.
Wu Yincang simply nods and gestures him to sit.
Yet Wu Chen didn't budge, he remained just slightly out of reach beyond that door.
"Why did you seek me?"
Wu Yincang voice was neutral and cold, his face remains impassive and unmoving even, like a dead corpse.
"I inquire a solution to my problem"
"And why do you think I would amuse you with an answer?"
Now this is the part about Chen that delights Wu Yincang, his sheer unpredictability.
Inquiring about some advice to an enemy? Unthinkable, foolish even, yet he does it, nonetheless.
So fucking amusing.
Wu Chen lips twisted lightly into a faint smile, yet his face remains in that same intensity as if he is prepared to brave death head-on.
"Keep your friend close and your enemy even closer. Right?"
"…"
Wu Yincang felt like those words have double meaning, warning and advice.
As if Wu Chen is telling him that he knows, all this time, the warmth he had shown him was merely constructed all because Wu Yincang treated Wu Chen like an enemy.
And to tell Wu Yincang that he had a severe internal problem, but what is it?
"Fair point, alright then, I shall amuse you this once"
Wu Yincang voice becomes huffed, this game, this dialogue, caused his heart to race with an excitement and adrenaline he had not felt since a long time ago.
"How can I gather ally? I seem to have some difficulty regarding it"
"Tell me first then, what method do you use to gather your own allies?"
Wu Yincang slouched in his chair, crossing his arm and leg. For him, this is a sign that he regards this dialogue very seriously.
Wu Chen remains still as a statue; therefore, Wu Yincang cannot read him. It's a very interesting play by Wu Chen.
"I inquire about their wishes and tried my hardest to regards them as an equal. Once I know about their wish, I tried to fulfill them to gain their trust"
Wu Yincang chuckles, yet he quickly hides his smirking lips under his hand. Wu Chen didn't seem to notice.
"A sound strategy, if your opponent is anyone other than me that is…"
Wu Yincang then stands up and began to face his back against Wu Chen.
He then walks towards the window and opens it, revealing the blinding noon lights to the room.
"First, that strategy is way too long, at least 3 days of investment is required to gain the trust of one person… For a quality ally, sure, why not. At least if they don't want to follow you, they'll like you enough to leave you alone"
Wu Yincang voice, though still as leveled as his composure, pitched up in its intonation ever so slightly.
"Second, people are selfish. If you fulfill one of their wishes, they suddenly want two more, three, five and you become nothing but their errand runner"
Wu Yincang turned his head to regards Wu Chen's form fully.
Chen's form is rigid and tense, his knuckles clenched so hard vein can be seen bulging through its skin.
Wu Yincang didn't know why those words managed to rile Wu Chen up this much, but it's a welcome surprise.
"I give you my advice, a great cause naturally attracts people to gravitate towards you. No grand words or threat is needed for that grand purpose shall naturally set One's heart in motion"
Wu Yincang said those words as he begins to once again sit down upon his chair.
"The greatest ally is those who had the same purpose as you…"
Wu Yincang said, crossing his hand above his face. His usually lifeless eyes gleam with sharp light as if rejuvenated.
"…I see, you have opened my mind. My appreciation for your wise words"
Wu Chen smiles, yet his eyes do not. His acting returning once more.
As he bowed and prepared to leave, Wu Yincang called him once more.
"I have a challenge for you…"
Hearing those words, Wu Chen ceased in his track, turning his face to hear Wu Yincang challenge.
"Three months from now, a competition for the candidates of the Spirit Rise will commence, let us partake in its test and see to ourselves which of us will be granted the position to represent our Sect in Mount Kirin"
Wu Yincang lips twisted awkwardly into a smile; a genuine trickster smiles. He didn't even bother to hide it this time.
Wu Chen though, remain still, his expression too, ceased to react. But he soon replied.
"That's easy enough"
"But…"
Wu Yincang paused his words unnecessarily.
"We both will not participate directly, only our followers and ally shall participate on our behalf"
"…"
A good enough challenge, Wu Yincang knew that if he personally participates, he will steamroll the competition.
Doing this restriction should excite him more.
"And what's the stake"
"…The stake?"
Wu Yincang smiles fades like ink in water. His eyes suddenly flutter wide open.
"…Everything"
.
.
.
"Fuuu"
Gu Tian can be seen under the shade of a building, taking shelter from the heat of the noon while occasionally mumbles a melody.
Her voice is like a singing dew, laced with sweet honey and topped off with sugar. Yet it cracks every so slightly as if she just cried a while ago.
"There you are"
"-!"
Gu Tian jumps like a startled cat, her eyes blown wide and her previously peaceful face was riled up.
The one who speaks with her is none other than her own brother, Gu Liang.
"It's you, wait, what are you doing here?"
She said, part relief and surprise. This is the female dorm area; no male was ever allowed to be near its vicinities.
"I'm here to check on you…"
"…I don't need checking; I'm fine by myself"
She pouts and buries herself under the fold of her own arms as she squats down.
"…Well, I'm just saying. If you had any difficulty…"
His words caused Gu Tian hearts to fall, did he know? She has been crying for hours at a time every day.
"I'm here for you, if…"
Gu Liang swallowed his words before he took a breath and said the words anyway.
"…If you don't want to speak to me, there's Wu Chen. Frankly speaking just speak to Wu Chen"
Gu Tian raised her head to meet Gu Liang, her round eyes glimmering under the intense sun, reflecting the blue colored iris.
"…Wu Chen had it rough these days, anyway here"
Gu Liang averts his gaze as he presented her with a Candied Hawthorn.
Its red skin glistening with drizzled honey, a feast for the eyes as much as it is a feast for the mouth.
Gu Tian drolls slightly before she wiped it off, though she remains cautious when taking it off from his brother's hand.
"Where did you get this?"
She said as she chomps down on one of the skewered Hawthorn, the taste is sweet and sour at the same time, the crunchy skin of the Hawthorn provides a delightful texture when her teeth eventually bite down on its soft flesh all the while the honey drizzling the skin tickles her jaw in sweet embrace.
Her expression lightens up as she continues eating, Gu Liang smiles as she saw his sister happy expression.
Seeing her eat like that almost makes him full too even though he hadn't eaten anything this afternoon.
"I made it myself, well I did steal some honey from the kitchen, but it's a secret between us"
"Hihihi, Gu Clan prince stole a honey. How ironic"
She giggles as she continues to eat Candied Hawthorn.
'I'll do anything for you'
Gu Liang thoughts voiced out what he cannot say, satisfied with her giddy expression, he took his leave.
"Well, I can't be too long here, farewell sis"
"Hmm, thank you, big bro!"
As Gu Liang walks away, his heart threatens to fly from the fact that Gu Tian just calls him 'big bro'.
Gu Tian, chewing on the sweet candy that clouded the saddening thoughts of her earlier, she then mumbled.
The words of her brother echoes in her mind, 'Wu Chen had it rough these days'
"…Maybe tomorrow?"
She made it an important task tomorrow to finally meet Wu Chen again.